1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a method for improving reading speed and comprehension skills through a series of exercises. Specifically, the invention teaches a series of computer controlled exercises designed to strengthen eye muscles, to reduce eye fatigue, to increase overall reading speed by performing variable reading speed exercises, and to enhance an eye-brain connection to improve reading comprehension and maintain the speed reading and comprehension skills.
2. The State of the Art
The state of the art is replete with various methods and techniques which claim to teach a method of exercises or techniques that can be used to improve a person""s reading speed and reading comprehension. These exercises and techniques are generally taught as a live course, in a book, or as a course recorded as audio, video, or as a computer-based application.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,332, Szymczak teaches a hand manipulated packet containing a series of removable opaque cards. The cards contain slots through which text is read. The cards are arranged to provide successively wider viewing areas. The cards are used to read columns of words which are made wider and wider so as to correspond to the card with a matching viewing area. The exercise described therein is intended to increase an area of perception.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,319 issued to Mazeski et al. teaches a different device and method for increasing a lateral span of view. A first optical lens is used to reduce the image of a line of words. After practicing at the first magnification, optical lenses of successively lesser magnification are used.
Speed reading exercises and techniques are also taught using software on a computer. A computerized tachistoscope is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,205 issued to Gross et al. Gross apparently teaches a system whereby groups of three words are flashed for a short time on a computer screen. A rate at which the words appear on the screen is intermittently increased in jumps of approximately 10%.
The prior art teaches that in order to increase a rate of reading, it is useful to expand a person""s area of perception. As demonstrated by the cited prior art, many different techniques have been developed to achieve this goal.
It would be an advantage over the prior art to teach a new method of expanding an area of perception which can take more advantage of the abilities of a computer system to display graphical information.
The prior art also fails to recognize that there is an advantage in trying to involve both hemispheres of the brain into the reading process. Reading is generally recognized as a left-brain process. By involving the right and left hemispheres of the brain simultaneously, both reading speed and comprehension can be improved. This will be accomplished by teaching eye-brain connectivity exercises.
The prior art also fails to recognize the advantages that can be gained by providing a series of exercises that are designed to maintain and ensure retention of skills that are learned from a speed reading program. Therefore, it would also be an advantage to teach a series of repeatable exercises.
The prior art also fails to teach the advantages of exercising a majority of the muscles of the eye. By strengthening eye muscle groups, the eye is less likely to suffer from fatigue, which can affect reading speed and comprehension.
It is observed that the prior art teaches methods of increasing reading speed. However, the prior art only teaches methods which ask the reader to simply read faster. Thus, the prior art fails to recognize the advantages of both increasing and subsequently decreasing a reading rate to accomplish an overall increase in reading rate.
The prior art also teaches the disadvantages of sub-vocalization. Sub-vocalization is the tendency of people to silently say individual words to themselves as they read. This action slows the reading process. However, it would be an advantage to teach a new method of increasing reading speed and reading comprehension which also tends to eliminate the habit of sub-vocalizing.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a software program which uses interactive teaching methods to improve reading comprehension and reading speed through a series of eye exercises and a specific regimen of reading rate variance.
It is another object of the invention to teach eye exercises which strengthen a variety of eye muscles to thereby reduce eye fatigue which can adversely affect reading rates and reading comprehension.
It is another object of the invention to teach eye exercises which specifically enhance eye-brain connectivity to thereby involve both hemispheres of the brain in the reading process.
It is another object to teach exercises which enhance eye-brain connectivity to thereby improve the ability to simultaneously read multiple words.
It is another object to teach a system of increased reading speed and improved reading comprehension which teaches a specific stimulus to prime the eyes and the mind to thereby awaken rapid reading pattern skills.
It is another-object to teach a method to improve reading speed which requires the reader to alter the speed at which exercises are read, where the speed required of the reader is altered in a specific manner to improve a base reading rate of the reader.
It is another object to teach a method to improve reading speed which requires the reader to read at a first speed, to then increase reading to a second speed which is much faster than the reader can presently read, and then to decrease reading to a third speed which is between the first speed and the second speed, thereby pushing the brain to a new reading level.
The present invention is embodied in a system which utilizes a series of computer controlled exercises designed to strengthen eye muscles to reduce eye fatigue, to increase overall reading speed by performing variable reading speed exercises, and to enhance an eye-brain connection to improve reading comprehension and maintain the speed reading and comprehension skills.
In a first aspect of the invention, a specific variable reading rate process has the reader read at a first rate, then increase to a second rate, and finally decrease to a third reading rate that is faster than the first rate, and slower than the second rate.
In a second aspect of the invention, eye-brain connection enhancement exercises are provided and which include following objects moving in specific patterns across a computer screen, expanding peripheral vision by watching and following the outline of expanding objects, rapidly solving maze puzzles, sequentially locating a series of numbers on a single display screen, and 2-point horizontal and vertical scanning.
In a third aspect of the invention, these exercises have been adapted to work in a computer screen saver application which, when engaged, will pop up on a computer display whenever the screen saver is activated. This feature enables users to maintain and improve the eye muscles, and also activates the rapid reading pattern that the reader has learned in the training sessions.
These and other objects, features, advantages and alternative aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in combination with the accompanying drawings.